ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA (ACV) AND GIPPSLAND ASBESTOS RELATED DISEASES SUPPORT INC (GARDS)

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1 ABN INC. A U ASBESTOS NEWS ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA (ACV) AND GIPPSLAND ASBESTOS RELATED DISEASES SUPPORT INC (GARDS) GARDS is endorsed as a charity. Donations of $2.00 & over are tax deductible. AUGUST 2014 VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E: Page 2 1. Hazelwood Mine Fire continued Asbestos Awareness Day Event Page 3 1. Monash University Medical School 2. GTLC Member Benefit Card Program 3. Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency Page 4 1. UGL Donation - Wheel Chairs 2. Save the Date - Mr Adrian Pick - Cardiothoracic Surgeon 3. ACV/GARDS on the Move... Latrobe Regional Art Gallery 4. Are You Nursing a Loved One? 5. Gary Blackwood MP Page 5 1. International Workers Memorial Day Event Page 6 1. Vale to Ray Colbert 2. Asbestos Snippets Pages Asbestos Snippets Page 9 1. Asbestos Snippets 2. IMPORTANT NEWS FOR ASBESTOS SUFFERERS Page Special People and Organisations Page GARDS membership Form Meeting Dates for Committee of Management 4. Details & Events Page ACV/GARDS Info page 2. Sponsors & Supporters DID YOU KNOW? You can make an online donation to our group at our home page Make a Donation Using the secure engineof GiveNow.com.au You can find our link on the home page of the GARDS website or at facebook.com/gardsinc HAZELWOOD MINE FIRE DISASTER Photo with the compliments of Chris Morley - The fire started in the mine on the 9th February 2014 As you can see above in this photo - the smoke and toxic fumes from this fire were horrendous - this is what the people of Morwell and surrounding districts were subjected to for 45 days. Our members who suffer with asbestos related lung disease of different kinds struggled through this disaster. Most of our members who have extreme difficulty in breathing evacuated as soon as they could see the severity and size of the fire. Many of them had worked at one of the power stations here in the valley and knew Major Sponsors of ACV/GARDS what it would take to get a fire of this sort under control and had an idea it would take weeks not days. But there were the members that could not leave for one reason or another and had to hunker down in their homes. Every day living became an effort and struggle - cleaning the constant barrage of ash off everything it lay on and trying to breathe through the constant smoke/ stench that enveloped them each day. Members taped up vents - seal doors and kept windows shut to try and keep the smoke/fumes and ash out - kept air conditioners going to try and filter the air and those on oxygen ordered more oxygen from their supplier to help them at other times. Continued on page 2...

2 From page 1... As you can see from the photos above this was the devastation that the fire caused when it ran down the highway from Hernes Oak towards the mine on that dreadful 9th of February. The fire fighters did a marvellous job under very difficult circumstances - the wind was horrendous and the day was extremely hot - the ground extremely dry - one of those perfect days for a disaster. We cannot speak more highly of the CFA, SES, Police, Council officers, Red Cross and many other wonderful volunteers who put their lives on the line during this very difficult time. Fire fighters from across Victoria and interstate came to assist in trying to get the mine fire out. Over 7,000 fire fighters helped with the blaze during the 45 day period. Children were evacuated from schools in Morwell and were bussed each day to classes in other towns while the fire was being fought. Of course this sort of fire in the Mine is nothing like a bushfire - coal mine fires have a whole different energy to them and this brings its own set of dangers with it. At times the level of dangerous fine particle pollution reached more than 15 times the maximum recommended levels - blanketing cars, homes and businesses. The toxic smoke/ fumes that were being emitted from the mine were we believe quite dangerous, residents complained of sore eyes, headaches, blood noses, rashes that were breaking out on them and dry retching from the acrid smoke pouring out of the mine. We will not know all of the effects on human health from this fire for some time. There have been four substantial fires that have previously broken out at Hazelwood open-cut coal mine in the past decade, all of which have prompted reviews and recommendations - what happened to all those recommendations? Of course the fire is not really out completely - it will still be smouldering away underground as these fires do - the fires underground have been known to go on for many decades. A Hazelwood Mine Fire Enquiry was set up to investigate all facets of the fire - the head of the enquiry and former Supreme Court justice, Bernard Teague, said the inquiry was focusing on three questions: what caused the fires; the health implications for people in Morwell; and how a repeat of the fire can be prevented. Public hearings were conducted from the 26th May to the 18th June where people from all aspects involved in the fire were called to make statements on their experience through the 45 days of the fire. The inquiry conducted 10 community consultations before the public hearings and heard from over 250 people. Mr Teague said We also received and read hundreds of written submissions, many with extremely helpful guidance ACV/GARDS made submissions to the Enquiry and were asked to testify at the public hearings that were conducted. Our members were severely affected by this disaster and are still feeling the effects from it to this day. We now await the recommendations from the Enquiry which we expect to be handed down in August sometime. We hope that all the recommendations from the Enquiry are adopted. If you have a computer and the internet - type into a search engine Hazelwood Mine Fire you can see many photos of the fire in the mine. Please take time to see just how big this fire was and its ferocity. A footnote to this article while writing this - the fire which still remains smouldering underground since the mine fire started in Hazelwood in February has escaped today, 31st July due to the high winds we have been experiencing on the Eastern batters of the mine. The CFA are battling this fire as I type. As you can see these fires are never really out. We have always lived with risk. We thank Sophie Morley & Sheena Jones for the photos supplied Asbestos Awareness Day Event SAVE THE DATE FRIDAY 28TH NOVEMBER Centenary Rose Garden, Commercial Rd, Morwell - 11am There will be a free community BBQ with the compliments of the GTLC - along with musicians, choirs and the ACV/GARDS bagpipers. Speakers for this event are: Russell Broadbent MHR Federal Member for McMillan also the Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Group for Asbestos Related Disease (PGARD) Lyall Watts - Lyall is living with Asbestos disease and he is an Activist for the cause & an ACV/GARDS member Steve Dodd - Secretary of the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council and a AMWU organiser Vicki Hamilton OAM - CEO/Secretary - Asbestos Council of Victoria/ GARDS P a g e 2 ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC.

3 Monash University Medical School ON the 30th of July the ACV/ GARDS team were again privileged to be a part in the tutorial for the 1st year medical students - this is our 6th year in attendance. There were approx 85 students learning about the impact that asbestos has on the sufferers and their families. Again this year, a new set of students learnt about the health, social, emotional and environmental issues that are brought about by this deadly material - asbestos. The students had lots of questions for our team of community experts and we hope that with the experience provided by the speakers that they got a real insight into the effects that asbestos has in a community. The ACV/GARDS team, that took part this year tried to give the students a perspective of what it is like for both the sufferer, as well as the family who have to cope with the diagnosis of asbestos disease, not only in their family environment but also with the day-to-day health issues that they must face. I must say that the students were very engaged and asked many and varied questions - we were impressed with their enthusiasm to want to know all facets of this terrible carcinogen and how it effects all those who come into contact with it. A few of the students stayed after the tutorial to ask more questions and to talk about other Gippsland Trades & Labour Council - Member Benefit Card Program Pictured from left are: Vicki Hamilton, Dorothy Roberts, Dr Margaret Simmons, Rhonda Dunn, Graeme Hamilton, Marie Smith things related to asbestos issues. We left the students with packs of information to browse and a good insight into asbestos. ACV/GARDS would like to thank Rhonda Dunn, Marie Smith, Dorothy Roberts & Graeme Hamilton for sharing their stories with the students. We would also like to thank Dr Margaret Simmons for making this happen. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency Pictured above are members of the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council and Asbestos Council of Victoria/GARDS with unionists signing up for Member Benefit cards. The Launch of the GTLC s Associate Member Program will see a range of Valley-based community organisations receive extra funding through weekly members donations. GTLC acting Secretary Steve Dodd said a $5 weekly membership fee would help support Asbestos Council of Victoria (ACV)/ Gippsland Asbestos Related Diseases Support (GARDS) and other volunteer organisations in need of additional funding. Currently at this point in time, ACV/GARDS rely on donations and sponsorships, so it s about giving these groups like ACV/GARDS an extra income stream to prop them up and do the work they need to do in the community Mr Dodd said. Mr Dodd said memberships would also provide discounts through participating local businesses. It s about getting people involved with the trades and labour council network, with an added incentive to support local businesses and industry he said. He has called on businesses and the public to join the program. If you are a business and would like to offer discounts in your store to members, please get involved - you will receive free advertising on the GTLC web site. All community that are interested in obtaining a member benefit card to receive discounts on purchasing at a store involved please contact Val at GTLC the $5 a week can be direct debited from your credit/debit card account. ACV/GARDS and our members and community are calling on the Hon Eric Abetz, Minister for Employment & the Hon Mathias Cormann, Minister for Finance to stay committed to the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency remaining a standalone agency. Treasurer Joe Hockey was applauded for his ongoing commitment to the work of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency - with the Federal budget locking in continued funding for independent, nationally coordinated action to improve asbestos education and move towards the future eradication of the deadly substance from Australian homes and workplaces. The bipartisan support for the Agency, which was set up July 2013 was welcomed by all, Unfortunately we were deeply concerned by the recommendation of the National Commission of Audit stating the Agency, and its advisory Council, should be abolished as a budget saving measure. It has also been touted that the Agency might be assimilated into another agency and the advisory council disbanded. Statements such as this show a lack of vision and foresight When Minister Abetz stated not long ago Over the years, we have all seen and heard of too many cases of people who have passed away or who are living with a disability because of exposure. These are the stories of cases that not only cripple the families but impact entire communities Senator the Hon Eric Abetz, Minister for Employment. Minister Abetz - as you recognise the huge cost that asbestos is having on our community now and into the future - we implore you to keep the Asbestos Eradication Agency funded as the small cost now will save you billions of dollars and save hundreds if not thousands of lives. Don t ignore this very real danger to our community - lives are being lost every day from unsuspecting people not knowing of the dangers of asbestos. ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC. P a g e 3

4 ACV/GARDS ON THE MOVE: LATROBE REGIONAL ART GALLERY On 29th July the ACV/GARDS support group took a trip to the local Latrobe Regional Art Gallery in Morwell. A guide from the gallery took our group around the gallery pointing out the art pieces of interest. We were very excited to see one of Chris Irelands portraits of an asbestos widow ACV/GARDS member that the gallery purchased - they have two others portraits of ACV/GARDS widows in storage - which we would have dearly loved to see. The group stayed for a bite of lunch in the So Swish Cafe on site at the gallery - we had a lovely lunch and a great day out. Some of the group returned to the office in the afternoon for a cuppa and chat. Pictured from left back: Rhonda Dunn, Glenda Rowley, Jean Harwood, Muriel Glover, Moira Duncan, Davey Duncan, Front from Left: Dorothy Roberts, Marie Smith, Margaret Williams and Margaret s granddaughter Maddi. Those who are not in the photo but were there on the day were: Jean & Dennis Day, Vicki Hamilton 30th September Support Group Meeting SAVE THE DATE - VERY IMPORTANT THANK YOU TO UGL We would like to thank Christine and Rod Keep for the wonderful donation of 4 light weight wheel chairs to our organisation. This is just such a wonderful donation and we were very pleased that UGL made this donation to us. These chairs will be well used by our sufferers and are already in demand. Light weight wheel chairs are much easier to manage for some of our carers as they are easier to move and pick up to place in the car. Thank you so much Christine and Rod we are just so thrilled with your donation to help support our asbestos sufferers and their families. Bless you! Mr Adrian Pick M.B.B.S., F.R.A.C.S. - Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Surgical Director of Acclaim Health Group will be attending the support group meeting on the 30th September at 1.30pm at the ACV/GARDS office. Adrian has been in private practice for 18 years specialising in lung cancer curative procedures and the treatment of asbestos related diseases. He is a consultant surgeon at The Alfred, Southern Health Monash Clayton, Peninsula Health Frankston Hospital and Cabrini Malvern and Peninsula Private Frankston. Gabrielle Pick, will also be in attendance and she is the Managing Director of Acclaim Health Group, Are you nursing a loved one with a terminal illness? WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! The Latrobe Valley Palliative Care Fundraising Association provides financial assistance to patients and their families by paying for equipment hire needed in the patient s home to help them be more comfortable and make it easier for their carers. If necessary, we can assist with financial help for medication and oxygen. This service operates with the hard work of volunteers and the generous public who help us raise the funds needed to run the service, thereby making a big difference to numerous lives. Would you care to Join us? Call No list below. We have also been aware of the need to train workers in the Aged Care Homes within the Valley; wishing to honour our two late leaders Angela Dempsey/ Bernadette Carstein we have set up a Scholarship in their names. Last year we paid for 11 Aged Care personnel this year we have 16 doing the course of Palliative Care - A short Course at Monash University, Churchill. CALL or To discuss how we can assist with the comfort of your loved one and make it a little easier for you. specialising in the identification of patients with asbestos related diseases through verbal history with a view to pre-surgical work up that will identify radio graphical evidence of exposure. Gabrielle works collaboratively with respiratory physicians, radiologists and pathologists to ensure patients are identified for asbestos disease and working with patients to access an efficient and effective palliative intervention. James Wise, the principal of H.K.S Lawyers, will be accompanying Mr Adrian Pick and Gabrielle Pick - he is an experienced asbestos litigation lawyer who has successfully acted on behalf of countless sufferers of mesothelioma, asbestosis and asbestos related pleural disease living in Victoria. Having witnessed the devastating effect an asbestos exposure related diagnosis can have on a patient and their loved ones, James established H.K.S Lawyers in an endeavour to simplify the legal process for those who elect to file claims and ensures that sufferers get the compensation that they deserve. James personally conducts all asbestos related disease claims as H.K.S Lawyers, and limits the number of cases undertaken each year to ensure that optimal and expedient results are achieved for all clients. So if you would like to come and have a chat and find out more about your health and asbestos litigation - all are welcome. ACV/GARDS FEES ARE DUE AND PAYABLE BY THE 30TH SEPTEMBER 2014 We appreciate all those members who have already paid their fees in advance. We do not send out reminders as this adds to our costs - so we would appreciate it if you could make your payment as soon as you can. The fees due do not cover the costs associated with being a member of the organisation but they do help to go towards some of the information that is sent to you. Thank you to all of you for your membership as this gives us strength. P a g e 4 ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC.

5 International Workers Memorial Day Asbestos Council of Victoria/ GARDS & Gippsland Trades and Labour Council held the annual International Workers Memorial event. People on the day found the event to be most beneficial - saying how good the speakers were and how very uplifted they felt knowing there were people actively trying to make a difference in protecting people in the work place. The hopes and aspirations of those who attended the event talked about more responsibility on OH&S standards, accountability for those who continually flout the law and risk innocent lives. No one knows more about that than those who attended the day as most had lost a loved one, work colleague or friend to a workplace accident or illness. The community that attend the day said it gave them hope and a sense of community and support, knowing that people care about them and the plight of people who are caught up in a work place accident. Speakers on the day were: Paul Fixter - CFA - career Firefighter for 20 years - in more recent fire situations he was involved in the 2014 Hazelwood Mine fires. Howard Williams - Gippsland Trades & Labour Council - Executive member of Gippsland Trades and Labour Council and also local resident of Morwell living next to the Hazelwood Mine fire and Vicki Hamilton CEO/Secretary of ACV/GARDS and Russell Jones conducted our Ecumenical Service. Steve Dodd - Secretary of the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council and a AMWU organiser - Talked from the union perspective about OH&S issues. Danny Boothman - singer/musician - gave the day a flavour of hope and inspiration. We were lucky the weather was kind to us on the day and after the official event was adjourned those who attended were invited to stay for a free BBQ lunch Thank you to Gippsland Trades and Labor Council for the wonderful BBQ on the day. Minister Russell Jones -conducting the Ecumenical service Paul Fixter - career Fire Fighter - involved in the Hazelwood Mine Fire Steve Dodd - Union organiser for the AMWU and GTLC - Vice President Howard Williams - Trustee of the GTLC & affected Morwell resident of the Hazelwood Mine Fire Danny Boothman ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC. P a g e 5

6 VALE TO RAY COLBERT ACV/GARDS would like to pay tribute to a wonderful man who always tried to make sure that he took care of asbestos sufferers and their families that reached out for help. He was there for anyone in need and certainly held the banner high for The Asbestos Related Disease Support Society of Qld Inc. We send our deepest condolences to Helen and the family. Helen worked tirelessly beside her husband Ray and gave him great support in everything that Ray did. Ray worked very hard to make sure the Society went from strength to strength - even fundraising by going on Ray s Ride where he travelled from Toowoomba to Brisbane raising over $60,000 in much needed donations to support Queensland sufferers of asbestos diseases. Ray has been a great friend to ACV/ GARDS and we will miss him very much. We will miss our talks and get togethers. We remember only too well when he and Helen took the helm of the Society in he as Secretary and Helen as President - we always found Ray to be a welcoming and thoughtful person and we know that all at the Society will miss him very much. We felt privileged and honoured to have known him and he can rest in peace knowing he has done a magnificent job. Asbestos Snippets IN AUSTRALIA Indented Head business owner fears he will have to sell his home to cover $100,000 damage bill JONNO NASH GEELONG ADVERTISER MAY 05, :19PM BELLARINE Bayside has said there is no need for concern after large asbestos fragments were sprawled along the Indented Head esplanade and left unattended for more than 24 hours. Visible remnants of a fibro roof damaged in a vandalism raid at the Beachlea Boat Hire company on Saturday night were only removed by experts Monday morning crime-court/indented-head-business-owner-fears-hewill-have-to-sell-his-home-to-cover damage-bill/ story-fnjuhoxe Toxic dump cleaned up By ADAM WRIGHT May 5, 2014, 6 a.m. South Coast Register THE illegal asbestos dump in Nowra reported in Friday s South Coast Register has been removed by a private company. When Neil Wallace from Asbestos Reporting and Mark Afflick from MGA Contracting learnt a pile of asbestos had been left on a public track for more than four months after authorities were notified, they decided to act in the interests of public safety. Crown Lands was responsible for cleaning up the site. Asbestos removalists from MGA Contracting in Ulladulla came to Nowra on Friday to remove the material after being contacted by Mr Wallace. toxic-dump-cleaned-up/ Asbestos dump discovered in Sydney park May 07, 2014: NINE NEWS A park in Sydney s west has been fenced off after 20 garbage bags containing building material were discovered, sparking asbestos fears. asbestos-dump-discovered-in-sydney-park/ xmr2tou?from= Asbestos scare shuts down Blacktown Hospital upgrade works indefinitely JESSICA OXFORD BLACKTOWN ADVOCATE MAY 15, :34PM Daily Telegraph MORE than 100 workers and members of the public have potentially been exposed to asbestos after it was found at Blacktown Hospital. CFMEU spokesman Rebel Hanlon said construction on the hospital s $320 million upgrade would be shut down indefinitely until the harmful material was completely removed from the site. Mr Hanlon said contaminated soil had been found near the main entrance at Blacktown Hospital, in a nearby car park and the childcare centre, potentially putting the general public and young children at risk. The potential of asbestos exposure for the 130 workers at the site was quite significant Mr Hanlon said. asbestos-scare-shuts-down-blacktown-hospital-upgradeworks-indefinitely/story-fngr8i5s ?nk=eb ea3266a4d2f22cb85a0b151b Rising asbestos liabilities hang over James Hardie profit surge By business reporter Michael Janda Thu 22 May 2014, 5:21pm James Hardie may have doubled its profit this financial year, but potential asbestos liabilities continue to cloud its outlook as a rise in the number of victims surprises the firm. The building products manufacturer, shrouded in controversy over earlier attempts to escape from or minimise asbestos liabilities, recorded an annual net profit of $US99.5 million for the year to March 31, more than double last year s. That net profit result is after $US195.8 million in adjustments for asbestos liabilities that are included in its annual accounts, up from $US117.1 million last year. James Hardie has an obligation to put up to 35 per cent of its operating cash flow into the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund, which provides payouts to Australian victims of asbestos-related diseases. Historic finds for roofers on Montague: VIDEO PHOTOS By Stan Gorton May 22, 2014, 10:54 a.m Narooma News FOR the workers working on the Montague Island renovations there have been little rewards such as the vintage matchbox found stashed in the rafters. Carpenter David Crooke last Wednesday proudly handed over the fragile but still colourful matchbox to Narooma ranger Cass Bendixsen who went out for day trip. The Mogo-based carpenter, whose two brothers are also working on the island, also found a newspaper from 1981 but that had to be destroyed because of asbestos contamination. Jerry Bell from the Australian Matchcover Collectors Society, which has branches in Melbourne and Adelaide, has been collecting personally for over 65 years. This box was the standard issue of the Federal Match Company in Sydney, and was made in Sydney, he said. historic-finds-for-roofers-on-montague-videophotos/?cs=1489 Asbestos campaigner Raymond Colbert has died aged 67 Marissa Calligeros 23rd May :19 PM Warwick Daily News Mr Colbert worked tirelessly on behalf of fellow disease sufferers for many years as secretary of the Asbestos Related Disease Support Society Queensland. Among his greatest achievements was Ray s Ride, where Mr Colbert travelled from Toowoomba to Brisbane in his motorised wheelchair to raise awareness of asbestos diseases mesothelioma and asbestosis and medical research funds. The journey took Mr Colbert through the flood-affected Ipswich and Lockyer Valley regions in Ray, who was wheelchair bound and on oxygen 24 hours a day, took five days to complete the ride, battling the November heat and plenty of flies, said Andrew Ramsay, the asbestos society s vice president. Canberra Grammar Year 3 camp cancelled after asbestos fears May 23, 2014 Ben Westcott Reporter at The Canberra Times A camp for Year 3 students at Canberra Grammar School has been cancelled after material containing asbestos was discovered on the grounds of the Birrigai camp site. In an to parents, head of primary school Rosalie Reeves said the decision to cancel the camp was made on Friday afternoon. It had been scheduled for June. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE.. P a g e 6 ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC.

7 Asbestos Snippets While we are aware that some students will be disappointed by this news, the safety of our students and staff is the school s main priority and we believe that this course of action is necessary, she said. It is our absolute intention to still operate a Year 3 camp in 2014 and you will be notified of plans for that as they become available. canberra-grammar-year-3-camp-cancelled-afterasbestos-fears zrmrd.html Attorney-General pays tribute to asbestos campaigner Attorney-General and Minister for Justice The Honourable Jarrod Bleijie Friday 23rd of May MY SUNSHINECOAST.COM Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Jarrod Bleijie has paid tribute to asbestos campaigner Raymond Colbert, who has sadly passed away. Ray was a tireless champion for fellow sufferers of asbestos-related diseases and my thoughts are with his loved ones, Mr Bleijie said. The input from Ray and the Asbestos Related Disease Support Society Queensland was integral during the development of the Government s Statewide Strategic Plan for the Safe Management of Asbestos, which he recently launched with us. Ray was so committed that he would at times work through the plan s detail with my staff from a hospital bed. Thanks in part to him, Queensland now has the most comprehensive and rigorous asbestos management strategy of its kind in Australia. Ray s legacy will be better awareness about the dangers and safer management of asbestos and the Government will continue to strive to make Queensland s worksites the safest in the country. article-display/attorney-general-pays-tribute-to-asbestoscampaigner,34388 INTERNATIONAL Contractor admits bungling Kensington Heights asbestos work - By Phil Fairbanks News Staff Reporter Buffalonews.com updated May 1, 2014 at 11:52 AM Contractor s failure to properly remove asbestos from the former Kensington Heights housing project resulted in the repeated release of asbestos into the environment contractor-admits-bungling-kensington-heights-asbestoswork Concern over asbestos handling in Christchurch By: Emily Murphy, New Zealand News Thursday May :23 Growing concern over the way demolition workers are handling asbestos during the Christchurch rebuild. All Queanbeyan residents warned on Mr Fluffy asbestos residential red-zoned flat land is due to be cleared by the end of next year, with the rate of demolitions expected to speed up over the coming months news/nbnat/ concern-over-asbestoshandling-in-christchurch Bay State drugmaker targets asbestos-linked cancer Thursday, May 1, 2014 By Allison Connolly and Sonali Basak - News Telegram.com Heather Von St. James, 45, remembers her father, a demolition worker, coming home covered in dust and dirt. Still, she d hug him each night and, sometimes, put on his coat and shoes to play. Thirty years later, she paid a price. At age 36, with a 3-month-old daughter, Von St. James was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly, incurable cancer tied to asbestos exposure that can take decades to develop and often kills within months after symptoms appear. She was told her only chance to live was to have a lung removed. She opted for surgery, and later learned she had excised the disease in time NEWS/ /1237 CONTINUED NEXT PAGE.. July 16, 2014 Kirsten Lawson CHIEF ASSEMBLY REPORTER FOR THE CANBERRA TIMES. Eleven property owners in Queanbeyan and tenants of a block of flats have received a letter warning them that Mr Fluffy asbestos could still be in their homes. While the 1000 or more houses in Canberra with loose-fill asbestos pumped into their ceilings had the bulk of the dangerous material removed 20 years ago, it remains in the ceilings of Queanbeyan homes, with the township never included in the clean-up program. No one knows how many Queanbeyan homes might contain Mr Fluffy asbestos. Queanbeyan City Council knows of just 11 properties whose owners came forward about the time of the ACT clean-up, but suspects there could be as many as 60 if the same percentage of people used Mr Fluffy insulation as in Canberra. html#ixzz37aafnby2 Two Mr Fluffy home owners diagnosed with mesothelioma by Kirsten Lawson - CHIEF ASSEMBLY REPORTER FOR THE CANBERRA TIMES. July 22nd 2014 Two people in Mr Fluffy homes have been diagnosed with mesothelioma this year, spokeswoman for the Fluffy Owners and Residents Action Group, Brianna Heseltine, says, a revelation set to focus attention on the health risks of the homes. Others living in homes contaminated with loose-fill asbestos had tumours and other diseases possibly linked to Mr Fluffy exposure, she said. Acting chief health officer Andrew Pengilley confirmed the cases of mesothelioma, but said it was not possible to draw conclusions about the risk of living in a Mr Fluffy home. It was unknown how many people had lived in the homes since the insulation was installed more than 40 years ago. Seven cases of mesothelioma had been diagnosed in Canberra last year, similar to previous years and to rates in other parts of Australia, he said. Dr Pengilley believes the risk of disease from living in a Mr Fluffy home is low, based on rates in Wittenoom, an abandoned West Australian blue-asbestos mining town, and on studies of home renovators in the state. At a health forum last week, he told residents background air in cities contained about 100 asbestos fibres per cubic metre, and buildings containing asbestos had 30 to 600 fibres per cubic metre. In Wittenoom, the air contained 900,000 fibres per cubic metre. The death rate from asbestosis among mine workers was one to two out of The mesothelioma rate among residents of the town was 26 per 100,000 people per year. Among home renovators in Western Australia, four to six people per 100,000 per year got mesothelioma. Mr Fluffy exposure was likely to be much lower, he said. There is an exposure to asbestos [in Mr Fluffy homes]. We think there is a non-zero risk. There is some risk but we believe this risk is low and the diseases that people are concerned about related to asbestos are rare, he said. But Ms Heseltine said Wittenoom was quite different. Kilogram by kilogram, the highly refined Mr Fluffy asbestos was far more dangerous than ore. I would have thought it would have been wise to ask people what asbestos-related diseases they have before telling them not to worry, she said, incensed at Dr Pengilley s approach. Read More: two-mr-fluffy-home-owners-diagnosed-with-mesothelioma zuilj.html Mr Fluffy asbestos: Similar loose-fill insulation may have been pumped into homes in Sydney - By Nick Grimm ABC News Sat updated am Some Sydney homes may have also been insulated with the same dangerous form of asbestos that was pumped into the so-called Mr Fluffy homes in Canberra. The Mr Fluffy insulation company installed loose-fill asbestos in the roof spaces of more than 1,000 homes across the ACT during the 1960s and 1970s. A Commonwealth-funded clean-up program began in the 1980s but some cleared homes have been found to contain potentially deadly remnant fibres. Now it has emerged that Mr Fluffy s methods of pumping in asbestos in its most dangerous form into roof spaces may have been much more widespread. The evidence, contained in a newly-unearthed government report, suggests that for years, another company might have been using similar methods in Sydney homes. In 1968 a federal health official was asked by the Commonwealth s Director of Public Works to provide advice on the health aspects of Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos. The official, Arthur Spears, assessed the product being sold by Mr Fluffy owner Dirk Jansen as dangerous. It is considered desirable that D Jansen and company should be dissuaded or even prevented, if possible, from using asbestos fluff as insulation material in houses, Mr Spears said in the letter. Not only are men being unnecessarily exposed to a harmful substance in the course of their work, which is against the best public health practises, but there is evidence that community exposure to asbestos dust is undesirable. In the light of the present stage of knowledge of the health effects of asbestos dust, it is prudent to limit asbestos to essential uses only and then in solid form. Mr Spears then went on to foreshadow the crisis that now faces Canberra residents 46 years down the track. Many people in the community will be exposed because some asbestos dust will be carried out of the roof space by air currents, he wrote. In view of the harmful nature of this substance the use of asbestos fluff for the purpose of insulating should be discontinued. Read More: mr-fluffy-sydney/ Fluffy Owners and Residents Action Group - Brianna Heseltine Founder and Spokesperson Why have I formed this Group? On 11 April thanks to the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency and the media s public awareness efforts - I found out that I am the co-owner of one of Canberra s 1,049 Mr Fluffy asbestos homes. Upon receiving this news, my husband and I arranged an asbestos assessment. To our horror, the assessor found loose fill amosite asbestos fibres in the return air intake of our central heating system. For more info - There will be more to come on this very serious issue concerning Mr Fluffy and other contractors who may have used this deadly material - ACV/GARDS will keep across this and give you more info in the next edition. ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC. P a g e 7

8 Asbestos Snippets Actor s Widow Files Asbestos Lawsuit May 1, 2014, 03:30:00PM. By Heidi Turner LawyersandSettlements.com According to Fox News, the family of actor Ed Lauter has filed a lawsuit against CBS and General Electric (the company that at one point owned NBC) alleging that Lauter was exposed to asbestos while filming television shows for the networks. A claim was also reportedly filed against Ford Motor Co. alleging Lauter was exposed to asbestos through automobile parts. Lauter was reportedly diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma in May He died at age 74 fewer than six months later, in October. Mesothelioma is a rare, fatal cancer that has been linked to asbestos exposure. The latency period can last decades between the time of exposure and the time of diagnosis. mesothelioma/asbestos-lawsuit-mesothelioma html#.u786a_lw7mc Virtual Consultation System at Ochsner Could Help Mesothelioma Patients Everywhere - May 05, 2014 Tim Povtak Asbestos.com The Ochsner Cancer Institute in New Orleans is exploring the viability of a novel, virtual consultation system that will allow its mesothelioma specialists to make recommendations to physicians who need assistance in caring for, and advising, their patients. ochsner-virtual-consultation-system/ Mersey man awarded over 100,000 compensation over deadly asbestos fog at Aintree factory May 06, :05 By Marc Waddington LIVERPOOL ECHO A Merseyside man who was exposed to a deadly fog of asbestos in his late 20s has won more than 100,000 in damages from his former employer. Norman Turner, 67, said he endured filthy, disgusting conditions during his time as a training officer at a chemicals factory in Aintree. Mr Turner, from Bootle, said he had taken the job at Courtalds - now Akzo Nobel - to better himself, only for it to leave him with a terminal illness. He said: The asbestos dust was thick like a fog. I mainly worked in the nylon section and it was everywhere. Most evenings when I got home from the factory I would have to rinse out my nostrils. I knew the conditions were bad for us, they were totally filthy and disgusting. But I had no idea just how dangerous it was. I can remember complaining to the bosses that we need better ventilation to clear out the dust because it was hard to breath. mersey-man-awarded-over At least one unscrupulous contractor responsible for asbestos illegally dumped in Roberto Clemente Park, DA says May 6, :35 AM By SARAH CRICHTON AND SARAH ARMAGHAN - NEWSDAY.COM At least one unscrupulous contractor was responsible for high levels of asbestos left in an estimated 32,000 tons of debris dumped at an Islip Town park in Brentwood, Suffolk County s top prosecutor said Tuesday. Initial sampling from the surface at Roberto Clemente Park confirmed components of the debris include asbestos-containing materials -- some pieces of which contained asbestos concentrations as high as 44 percent, District Attorney Thomas Spota said. The presence of the dangerous contaminant on the surface requires extensive sampling to determine if there s more below joseph-montuori-islip-parks-commissioner-forced-outamid-illegal-dumping-probe Town of Ulster will spend $13,490 to remove roofs, asbestos from two trailers 05/07/14, 2:43 PM By William J. Kemble, Daily Freeman news TOWN OF ULSTER >> The Town Board has approved spending $13,490 to remove asbestos roofing material from two trailers at North Drive in the hamlet of Glenerie. The work, approved last week, will be done by T.J. Bell Environmental of Averill Park. The company will remove the roofs from a 600-square-foot trailer and a 96-square-foot tag-along trailer. We have been clearing up the site... taking the debris, an enormous amount of debris away, said town Highway Superintendent Frank Petramale.... Once we get the asbestos material that has to be removed, we ll get all of the buildings down to the ground and removed. The town seized the properties last year due to unpaid taxes totaling $46,000. Ulster County was unsuccessful trying to sell the properties at auction. town-of-ulster-will-spend to-remove-roofsasbestos-from-two-trailers Mystery pipe, bricks halt Troy asbestos job Published on Jun 1, 2014 CBS6 ALBANY TROY - A city planner in Troy says asbestos abatement on two old buildings may begin again under certain conditions set by the NY Department of Labor after the discovery of an asbestos-laden pipe about a hundred yards away from the buildings Auckland primary school closed over asbestos scare 10:52AM Thursday May 08, 2014 ONE News Two separate investigations have been launched into the closure of a school in the Auckland suburb of Herne Bay after the demolition of buildings prompted an asbestos scare. Bayfield School s Board of Trustees last night made the decision to close the school until further notice after testing on the building site found asbestos dust. The construction work began on April 7. Both the Ministry of Education and Worksafe NZ have announced they ll be investigating the issue and that the children won t return to school until tests prove that it is safe. WorkSafe NZ has prohibited any further work on the school site, and further tests would be carried out today to see if the area outside the fences was asbestos-free. Communication breakdown exposes foreman to deadly fibres THECONSTRUCTIONINDEX UK When an asbestos survey highlights the known presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB), it makes sense to let the team on site know about it - However, a Battersea building firm failed to do this and as a result left the foreman and his team exposed to deadly fibres. Redwood Contractors Ltd was yesterday fined 10,000 for its communication failure in a in a prosecution brought by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). Redwood Contractors Ltd was in possession of a detailed asbestos survey that clearly identified the location of the asbestos wall panels inside a warehouse it was refurbishing at Molly Millars Close in Wokingham. However, the survey was not shared with the team on the ground. So when a foreman mistook the AIB for lower-risk asbestos cement it was removed without adequate control measures and protective equipment. He and others could therefore have inhaled asbestos fibres without knowing it. communication-breakdown-exposes-foreman-to-deadlyfibres Mesothelioma Survivor Kasie Coleman Has Bright Business Future May 09, 2014 Tim Povtak ASBESTOS.COM BATON ROUGE, La. Kasie Coleman is like a buzz saw without a stop switch now, whirling from one task to the next, leaving dust in her wake and anyone trying to follow, two steps behind. She doesn t slow anymore for negative thoughts, chemotherapy side effects or behind-schedule doctor appointments. Too busy for that. Coleman has children to raise, a husband to love, parents to help, a God to worship, a blog to write and a burgeoning bakery business to build. She s charging through a life that hardly acknowledges the peritoneal mesothelioma cancer now in remission, but still quietly brewing within her belly. The 38-year-old businesswoman opened her third Sugarbelle Bakery in Baton Rouge last month, only a year after inaugurating the first store. She s expanding quickly with a can t-miss concept: The best made-from-scratch, all-natural, melt-in-your-mouth goodies originating from her grandmother s personal recipes. The plan now is to help this thing [business] grow, Coleman said during a short, catchher-breath, late afternoon lunch break at a nearby Cajun seafood shop. I ve been asked if I m going to franchise it, but I ve been too busy to even research that yet. For now, I just want to build something that is going to last here. kasie-coleman-new-sugarbelle-bakery/ Wartime helmets and gas masks dangerous, schools told By Judith Burns Education reporter, BBC News 13 May 2014 Schools should not let children touch or try on wartime helmets and gas masks as they may contain asbestos, says updated advice. Instead they should be double-bagged and destroyed or made safe if they are not clearly shown to be asbestos free, says the Health and Safety Executive. Teachers are increasingly using wartime artefacts in the run-up to the World War One centenary later this year. Historians say destroying these relics would be a disaster. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says it analysed a number of vintage helmets and gas masks at the request of the Department for Education. Toxic materials The analysis showed that the majority of the masks did contain asbestos, often the more dangerous crocidolite, or blue asbestos. School fined over asbestos Wednesday, 14 May UTV An east Belfast grammar school has been fined 7,500 after admitting a series of health and safety breaches in relation to the management of asbestos - Belfast Crown Court heard that children as young as four could have been at risk of exposure to the potentially fatal substance, which was found in a smaller building within the school campus that was used as a preparatory department and later as a kindergarten. Belfast Recorder Judge David McFarland said that while he accepted the school and its Board of Governors didn t breach the regulations deliberately, it is a concern children were being exposed, particularly children of such a tender age. Last week Jill Keery appeared in court as an appointed representative of Bloomfield Collegiate s Board of Governors, when she pleaded guilty on behalf of the school to two counts under the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order aa834e56-5b00-4d88-a1c c6ee7f Demolition company fined for asbestos dumping By: Sophia Duckor-Jones, Thursday May :08 NEWSTALK ZB A demolition and digger hire company has been fined more than $67,000 for illegally disposing asbestos contaminated demolition waste in Tauranga last year. C Side Services disposed the waste at a property in Otumoetai, which borders a city council reserve near the Waikareao Estuary. The charges date back to August 2010, when the offending began and continued until April last year. The company also cleared native vegetation in order to dump the waste at the site nbcri/ demolition-company-fined-forasbestos-dumping Labour announces plan to support asbestos victims 14 May 2014 H&V NEWS UK Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves has announced that the next Labour government will act to provide fresh assistance to victims of asbestos. Speaking at a Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians conference, Ms Reeves said that if elected, Labour will: be enshrining in a law a levy on the insurance industry, to secure a sustainable funding stream for improved compensation for victims and ongoing research into the disease and its treatment. To ensure there is no short-changing of those who have already paid far too much. EPA combs site where asbestos was illegally handled, say feds May 13, :40 May 13, :27 PM By ROBERT E. KESSLER NEWSDAY Federal agents raided an abandoned aviation factory in Port Jefferson Station Tuesday for signs of unlawful asbestos handling, months after a Suffolk construction firm was cited there for stripping the cancer-causing material from metal pipes. The raid by Environmental Protection Administration agents involves looking into the treatment of hazardous materials from the long-shuttered Lawrence Aviation factory by DFF Farms Corp., owned by Thomas Datre Jr., sources said. Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney s office for the Eastern District of New York, declined to comment beyond saying that the EPA s probe of the site is ongoing. Lung cancer victims significantly worse off after Government reforms, MPs told By GDemianyk May 14, 2014 Western Morning News UK Asbestos was used in shipbuilding, construction and the CONTINUED NEXT PAGE.. P a g e 8 ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC.

9 Asbestos Snippets automotive industry, exposing workers. Carpenters, joiners, plumbers and heating engineers are at particular risk MPs have been told asbestos victims with fatal lung cancer awarded compensation will be left significantly worse off following Government s reforms to legal aid. The warning came during a hearing ordered by cross-party Justice Select Committee of MPs which is investigating the risk of mesothelioma sufferers losing up to a quarter of their damages payments to their lawyers under changes quietly slipped through Parliament. The Westcountry has a high number of victims because of asbestos-related activities in the past at Devonport Dockyard. The Western Morning News revealed last year mesothelioma was the underlying cause in 396 deaths recorded in Devon and Cornwall, with around 120 in the four constituencies covering Plymouth, between 2008 and story detail/story.html Asbestos dilemma put to parents 2:36 pm on 15 May 2014 RADIO NEWZEALAND NEWS Bayfield School was shut last Thursday because of fears of asbestos contamination from demolition work taking place on the grounds. Two of the 95 subsequent tests showed the presence of abestos outside a demolition site on the school grounds. At a meeting with parents this week, a suggestion was made that the school relocate to another premises until the building work has finished - about a year away. The board was now trying to gauge whether there was any support for that idea asbestos-dilemma-put-to-parents Contractor begins demolition before asbestos check By Chris Woodard: May 15, 2014, 11:55 pm KOIN 6 PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) The Department of Environmental Quality will take action against a building contractor for not checking for asbestos in a home they were demolishing in Southeast Portland. Robert McCullough, the president of a Southeast Portland neighborhood association and a frequent critic of city building and demolition policies, said he got a call from an angry neighbor about a week ago. Robert McCullough is the president of a neighborhood association in Southeast Portland, May 15, 2014 (KOIN 6 News) He believed there was asbestos in the home right across the street from Duniway Elementary. It seemed there were no precautions taken before demolition began, so he called the Oregon DEQ. Sitting across the street are hundreds of small children, he told KOIN 6 News. When the men in hazmat suits came to finish the demolition they were dressed better for this than the children. There was asbestos inside, and the home is now wrapped in plastic. The contractor told KOIN 6 News they made a mistake by not checking for asbestos before beginning the demolition. But he said he doesn t believe anything harmful was released into the air because a qualified crew eventually came in to get rid of it. McCullough said the city needs new policies requiring contractors to notify neighbors of demolition. A spokesperson for the school district also told KOIN 6 News they ve asked the city to monitor the work being done at the home. They also said they re less worried about kids being affected because the home is near the playground but not near any classroom windows. contractor-begins-demolition-before-asbestos-check/ Row erupts over 4.5m flat demolition after asbestos is discovered May 16, :30 By Jenny Foulds Daily Record and Sunday Mail A row has broken out after it was revealed that the demolition of four blocks of flats in Dumbarton will cost an EXTRA 1.3m as they are riddled with asbestos. West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) says it is being forced to fork out the extra cash after unexpectedly high levels of the potentially deadly material were found in the four highrise blocks in Bellsmyre. But critics described the revelation as absolutely astonishing, blasting the authority for failing to discover the asbestos until now. Stuart McMillan MSP said: While dealing with asbestos and ensuring public safety is of the utmost priority, serious questions must now be asked as to why such huge costs are now being realised. row-erupts-over-45m-flat Building and Woodworkers International Asbestos Conference, May ibas Secretariat On May 6 and 7, 2014, the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), in collaboration with the Industrial Global Union, the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, brought together more than one hundred delegates from forty countries, to progress objectives in the global campaign to ban asbestos.1 Austrian trade unions the construction union Die Gewerkschaft Bau-Holz (GBH) and Die Produktionsgewerkschaft (PRO-GE) facilitated the gathering which took place at trade union premises in Vienna. New ETUI publication: The Asbestos Lie Maria Roselli, journalist For decades asbestos was considered an ideal substance and therefore was called the mineral of the twentieth century. Even though the fibre had already been shown to cause various ailments, a real boom began in the 1950s and prospered everywhere in Europe and of course in Australia.This book retraces the history of the Swiss asbestos cement company Eternit, investigating the strategy it developed together with other asbestos industrialists to prevent this carcinogen from being outlawed until, in 1999, an EU Directive was finally adopted to this end. The book also reviews the struggle of the asbestos workers and their families to gain official recognition of, and compensation for, the harm suffered. The book, The asbestos lie. The past and present of an industrial catastrophe can be downloaded (or ordered) from of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) website. Pakistan: Two million Karachiites face cancer threat Umar Cheema Friday, July 12, 2013 A personal loss has revealed collective tragedy in Karachi where a factory dumping site in Gadap Town is still exposing over two million residents to cancer-causing asbestos that annually kills 100,000 people at the global level. While 52 countries have banned asbestos, the Pakistani government, appears unconcerned. A study commissioned on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has found that the populations residing in Gadap Town and nearby areas are prone to cancer-like diseases through asbestos, as it is air-borne. IMPORTANT NEWS A recent decision in June 2014 of the Supreme Court of Victoria in Multari & Seltsam Pty Ltd has had a significant impact on the Victorian asbestos compensation jurisdiction, causing uncertainty for some asbestos disease sufferers seeking compensation. As a result of this decision, Part VBA of the Wrongs Act (Vic) 1958 has been found to apply to sufferers of asbestos related diseases, where they have been exposed to asbestos outside of employment governed by Victorian workers compensation schemes. For example, Part VBA will apply to claimants who were exposed to asbestos through home renovation work, or if they were exposed to asbestos dust washing the contaminated work clothes of their partners. Part VBA requires that these claimants obtain a significant injury certificate in order to obtain damages for pain and suffering compensation. This process requires an assessment by a specially qualified AMA practitioner that the person has a 5% whole of body impairment. New hurdle for asbestos victims Reported by Sally Weir - Associate at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers The application of Part VBA to certain classes of asbestos disease sufferers creates an extra burden on vulnerable claimants already suffering under the weight of their diseases. It may also lengthen compensation claims by many months. There is no reason why claimants with terminal, insidious, asbestos related conditions should face unnecessary delay and red tape while attempting to receive fair compensation for themselves and their families. Clearly it is difficult to doubt the significance of injury for people suffering asbestos related diseases where they are battling painful disease progression and reduced life expectancies and the ACV, unions and law firms are working hard to campaign the government to immediately exclude asbestos diseases sufferers from such an unfair outcome. Asbestos Council of Victoria/ GARDS are at this moment writing letters and in discussion with our local State politicians to try and have this unjust and cruel red tape changed for asbestos sufferers. Watch this space!!! ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC. P a g e 9

10 Special People and Organisations Regular donations made to us by these generous companies GJ Crosby Contractors thank you to Judi, Kerri and all the family and we would also like to thank Paul Erbs and Darren Carman and all the team at Mairin OHS&E Consulting We would like to take this opportunity to thank individuals who have donated to us in different ways over the last few months: Ian Wilson, Ivy Brown, Ray Whittaker, Anonymous $11, George Locke, Trevor Pickering, Kim Coad, James Wise, Brady Manning, Muriel Glover, Myrna & Andrew Seychell, Margaret Williams, Malcolm Fabiny, Anonymous $50 Gippsland Water Social Club Inc. Our organisation would like to thank the social club of Gippsland Water for donating to us again this year it is a wonderful donation and we appreciate the support you give us. The Social club committee have been donating to us since what a great bunch you all are!!! Paul Addison & GREENCAP/ NAA We would like to say how very much we have appreciated Paul s help on some interesting issues around asbestos and helping some of our clients to deal with exposure in their homes. We would also like to thank GREENCAP/NAA for lending their expertise when needed and being so obliging to our phone enquiries - it means a great deal to us and saves lives. Thank you all - you are stars!!! Limnos Karvery Kafe Our organisation would like to thank the proprietors Anne & Tony Fkiaras for the generous donation they made to us. We appreciate the support we receive from the community - thank you so much for caring - you can be assured that the money you have donated will support asbestos sufferers and their families. Michael Hutchinson Thank you for your generous donation - your support for our organisation is very much appreciated and will go towards supporting asbestos sufferers and their families. Donations made in Memory of - Yvonne Stewart David Stewart and family, Anonymous $20, Anonymous $15 Donations made in Memory of - Peter Black Nanette & Peter Itter, Graeme & Jackie Lee, Anonymous $50, Orana Senior Citizens Centre Inc. Tracey Ditterich and Rob Thank you so much for your wonderful donation to us we really appreciated getting a donation in memory of Geoff Ditterich from his daughter Tracey - it was so nice to hear from you and know that you still think of us every now and then. Jean Harwood Thank you so much for the donation of a bottle of Kentucky Gentleman Bourbon Whisky for our next raffle. You are always a great supporter of our organisation. Donations made in Memory of - John Jackson Anonymous $20, Anne & Bram Gompelman, Anonymous $10, Roy Kilmartin, Brian & Betty Downey, Ian Finlay, Philip & Irene O Donnell, Greg & Brenda Mitchell, Bryan Home Taste Chinese Restaurant The ACV/GARDS organisation would like to again thank Pinky and Tony Lau for their continued support & friendship with our organisation. Bertoli, Yallourn North Elderly Citizens Donations made in Memory of - Jim Sargeant South Gippsland & East Gippsland Agent for Air Liquide Mary Rossney, Tony Heath, Michael & Konnie Sargeant, Richard & Nicole Potger, Sharon, Steve & Adam Keeling, Josie Onfryuk, C Weinhandl, Terry Sargeant and family, Robyn Attoe, Ann & Mick Rogers, Jason Sargeant, Kellie Shanley, Anonymous $20, Anonymous $65, Anonymous $50, Anonymous $20, Anonymous $20, The ACV/GARDS organisation would like to acknowledge the support that we get from Paul Cornelis South Gippsland Agent for Air Liquide and also Tony Robinson East Gippsland Agent for Air Liquide. Both these agents fit our oxygen concentrators and conserving devices for our sufferers when ever needed - they do this for us as a donation to our organisation. You are truly wonderful people who should be commended for your good deeds. Moira & Davey Duncan Thank you so much for your kind monetary donation to our organisation and all the wonderful bag piping you have done for us over the years. You are both true blue supporters and we appreciate it. Valerie Heuch Thank you very much for donating a nebuliser to our organisation - that was a very nice gesture. It will certainly get a lot of use with a member in need. Online Donations Bree Knoester, Chris Healy Donations made in Memory of - George Ridley George Cooper, Anonymous $20, Anonymous $5 Donations made in Memory of - Bryan Williams J Lawson, Nellie Crane, Chuck and Janet Falzon, Mid Gippsland Football League, Ross & Angelo Vitale, D & T Borthwick, Mr & Mrs C Elmore, M Jordan, Shirley Newell, Anonymous $15, Anonymous $10, Doug William, M & C Zarb, Eddie & Jo Kanara, Nana Wilson & Noeleen Henessey, Gary Perry & Wendy Hartley, Toni A Goodrem, Anonymous $10, Roger Doyle Vale to Peter Black We would like to say how very hard it was to say goodbye to our esteemed member of 7 years - Peter wanted to make his donations personally before he passed away - so in the days before his passing he called on Vicki to come and collect his portable oxygen concentrator, nebuliser and a collection of 50 cent pieces he had been saving up valued at $45. Peter sadly passed away a few days later after making the donations to our org and we are very proud and honoured to have known him. He was a charming man and always held in high regard what our organisation was doing to help asbestos sufferers and their families everywhere. Rest in Peace Peter you were a top bloke! Chris Cheetham We would like to thank you so much for taking the time to make 12 crocheted rugs for us to raffle. It is wonderful to have somebody who puts so much loving effort into helping us in this manner. You are a gem!! Morwell Bowling Club We would like to thank the management of the Morwell Bowling Club and a big thank you to Michelle Curtis who is helping to raise money for ACV/GARDS. Please support the club and you will be supporting us too. Thank you so much to all - it is great to have you in our corner. P a g e 10 ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC.

11 GARDS Inc. Membership Form Name: Address: Postcode: Telephone: Occupation: Committee of Management President: Dorothy Roberts Ph Mobile Vice President: Marie Smith Ph Mobile CEO/Secretary: Vicki Hamilton Ph Mobile Treasurer: David Fairbairn Mobile Member: Collin Ross Mobile Ray Watson Ph Mobile GARDS NEW MEMBERS Joining Fee $5.00 PLUS GARDS Annual Subscription Concession (Pensioner/unemployed) $ Full Rate (employed) $11.00 Upon my admission as a Member, I agree to be bound by the rules of GARDS Inc. Signature: Date: Please return to GARDS Inc. with payment, PO Box 111, MOE, Vic Office Use Only I , a Member of the GARDS Inc. nominate the Applicant for Membership of the Association Signature of Proposer: Date: I , a Member of the GARDS Inc. second the nomination of the Applicant for Membership of the Association Signature of Proposer: Date: ACV/GARDS Fees Joining Fee: $5.00 Annual Fees: Pensioner/Concession Unemployed $3.00 Employed persons $11.00 Meetings SUPPORT: Last Tuesday of month, 1.30pm pm EVENINGS: 3rd Tuesday of month, 7.30pm pm Office Hours Monday to Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday - By appointment CALL IN FOR A CHAT AND CUPPA ACV/G.A.R.D.S. SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS FOR PM 3.30PM Meetings are held at ACV/GARDS Premises 41 Monash Road, Newborough Tuesday 25th February Tuesday 25th March Tuesday 29th April Tuesday 27th May Tuesday 24th June Tuesday 29th July Tuesday 26th August Tuesday 30th September Tuesday 28th October Friday 28th November Asbestos Awareness Day, Rose Garden, Morwell Christmas Break-Up TBA ACV/G.A.R.D.S. NIGHT MEETINGS FOR PM 9.30PM Meetings are held at ACV/GARDS Premises 41 Monash Road, Newborough Tuesday 18th February Tuesday 18th March Tuesday 15th April Tuesday 20th May Tuesday 17th June Tuesday 15th July Tuesday 19th August Tuesday 16th September Tuesday 21st October Tuesday 18th November Christmas Break-Up TBA UP COMING EVENTS Our Night/Day Meetings SUPPORT GROUP 26 August 2014 Kate Veterinarian - Moe Vet 30 September 2014 Dr Adrian Pick Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Gabrielle Pick Practice Manager and James Wise Principal of HKS Lawyers 28 October 2014 Bree Knoester Barrister - Advice Line Lawyers and Lois Williams Central District Older Adults Recreation network SPECIAL EVENT Asbestos Awareness Day Event 28 November 2014, 11AM Centenary Rose Garden Morwell ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC. P a g e 11

12 ACV/GARDS INC. SUPPORT We are situated at: 41 Monash Road, Newborough, Victoria PO Box 111, Moe, Vic On line donations com.au/gards Phone: /7 Fax: Website: SKYPE: VickiGARDS facebook.com/gardsinc ACV/GARDS provides support and information to asbestos sufferers, their families and carers. This includes home visits by ACV/GARDS volunteers, a telephone information/support service 24 hours, 7 days a week. ACV/GARDS has an office, which is open for sufferers, their families, carers and the general community to access at the times listed in the information section. ACV/GARDS INC. Support also conducts a monthly meeting (1.30pm 3.30pm) on the last Tuesday of the month) where guest presenters are invited to provide information about support services of all kinds and any other topics of interest that the members might find of relevance. The meetings also provide a gathering ACV/GARDS INC. EVENING MEETING ACV/GARDS has an organisational, activities and advocating arm. Interested financial members can come along to evening meetings, which are, conducted 7.30pm 9.30pm on the third Tuesday of the month. These meetings provide a focal point for information place for experiences; ACV/GARDS Support is open to anyone whose lives have been affected by asbestos, their families and the general public. ACV/GARDS loans out free of charge to asbestos sufferers - oxygen bottle regulators, conserving devices, oxygen home concentrators, wheel chairs, oxygen bottle carriers, nebuliser, walking frames & walking sticks. We also have an extensive library of books, DVDs and CDs on asbestos issues, health, social and environmental that we loan free of charge to those wishing to improve their knowledge ACV/GARDS can provide professional counselling with a qualified psychologist free of charge for those who have been diagnosed with asbestos related disease and also their family members. If preferred telephone counselling can be arranged. sharing and problem identification. The aim of this group is to focus on improving health and support services and any other issues deemed relevant to improving overall outcomes to asbestos sufferers, their families and the general public. Thus ensuring asbestos-related issues are kept in the public eye and trying to rid our environment of asbestos products. TH T YO THANK YOU HAN HA YO Y U ACV/GARDS Inc. would like to thank these sponsors and supporters LATROBE VALLEY FUNERAL SERVICES Major SponsorS G & J CROSBY CONTRACTORS PTY. LTD. - Demolition - Asbestos - Hire or Contract - Second Hand Building Materials Ph: Mob: Supporting Workers and Their Communities P a g e 12 ASBESTOS COUNCIL OF VICTORIA / GARDS INC.